Streaming Media - October/November 2007 - (Page 52) DRM demystified Microsoft PlayReady DRM for Silverlight Alkove: From a feature perspective, PlayReady adds support for domains, which allows content to move seamlessly among a user’s devices and PCs. In addition to support for Windows Media codecs, PlayReady also supports non-Windows Media codecs such as H.264 and AAC, and non-audio/visual content like bitmaps for backgrounds, games, maps, and ringtones, which differentiates it from existing technologies in the marketplace today. A very important point is that PlayReady is backwards-compatible with Windows Media DRM 10. As a result, device manufacturers can build PlayReady devices that are compatible with existing Windows Media DRM 10 content and services such as Napster, CinemaNow, Amazon, MovieLink, and so on. Will PlayReady ultimately replace Windows Media Rights Manager (WMRM), or do you see it as a complementary technology in the marketplace? What gaps in the WMRM ecosystem will PlayReady fill? Berns: Windows Media DRM 10 is a technology that we will continue to support. From a pricing perspective and from a feature set perspective, PlayReady is a different value proposition. Windows Media DRM is clearly audio/video-focused, while PlayReady offers many more features including non-audio/video content, domain support, support for non-Windows Media audio/video codecs, etc., at a different price point. And of course PlayReady also provides backwards compatibility with Windows Media DRM 10. We believe PlayReady hits the sweet spot for value and price. Alkove: You can certainly look at PlayReady’s usage model as an evolution of Windows Media DRM. Consumers are sensitive to what they feel are unnecessary restrictions on their use of content. When you look at domain-based licensing, like PlayReady supports, it provides a more seamless model for users to move content around the ecosystem. PlayReady DRM enables native support for features that server providers try to emulate using Windows Media Rights Manager. We see mobile phones becoming a large part of the ecosystem of consumer entertainment devices, which is a space that PlayReady very efficiently addresses. PlayReady enables the adoption of flexible business models for delivering all kinds of digital goods to consumers, extending content access technology beyond Windows Media Audio and Video. How does PlayReady fit into the overall future of Windows Media? Should we expect to see PlayReady-compatible DVD players, car stereos, and video game consoles? Alkove: In order for consumers to fully realize the value of digital content they need access to a broader variety of content types and business models. Having a wide array of devices within an ecosystem, ready to support that content, is necessary to achieve that value. That is really our focus with PlayReady. Initially our focus is on mobile devices and content, but we will expand this over time. It is important that as we grow the constituency of devices that we are cognizant of the need to maintain a consistent user experience. We feel this is incredibly important. The consistent user experience must be maintained to be successful. Berns: We think the applicability of PlayReady and of Microsoft’s DRM technology in general is definitely not just PC-based and not just focused on handsets. We are absolutely thinking about other places where this technology is applicable and we will continue to analyze these opportunities as we evolve. What were some of the major hurdles you encountered as you went down the road to launching PlayReady? Berns: Over the years we have received a lot of useful feedback on Windows Media DRM. This was the genesis of PlayReady. DRM is generally a complex area, given the ever-increasing expectations of consumers and the evolving needs of the industry. Our challenge with PlayReady was to build on our existing presence For more information on PlayReady, see http:// www.microsoft.com/ playready/. in the DRM space with a new technology that met these next-generation needs—both of the industry and of consumers. Alkove: PlayReady is really about taking a look at what did and did not work with the existing technology, and what additional consumer scenarios the industry was looking to deliver. We originally shipped DRM technology in 1999 and have learned a lot about what has and has not worked over these past eight years. The PlayReady offering is the result of this introspection, dialogue with partners, and a lot of work to come up with the right feature set that provides a seamless experience for consumers while creating a great opportunity for our partners to build new and exciting services based on digital goods. Now that PlayReady has been announced, should the market interpret PlayReady as a change in Bill Gates’ position on DRM? Berns: We look at PlayReady as one element in improving the customer experience with digital content. There are a lot of other technologies that come into play in order to deliver truly compelling user experiences; we wanted to make sure that whatever the nature of those experiences, PlayReady can support the digital content types and business models in ways that make sense for consumers and content owners alike. Our efforts in this space continue to be very cooperative ones with studios, labels, content and service providers, device manufacturers, and others in the industry. 52 STREAMING MEDIA October/November 2007 http://www.microsoft.com/playready/
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